Airborne 12.09.16

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Airborne 12.09.16

Japanese fighter pilots
from World War II toured USS Nimitz (CVN 68) May 18 as part of the
last international grand reunion of the Unabara-kai (Japanese
Imperial Navy Surviving Aviator’s Association).

Carrying the Japanese Rising Sun flag, the veterans and their
family members boarded the ship, followed by Japanese reporters who
were there to capture the momentous event.

The sheer size of the carrier took many by surprise. One of the
former pilots, Kaname Harada, who flew the famous A6M2 Zero, said
the carrier was three times the size of the ships he recalls.

“It’s so huge that I can’t believe it’s
a ship,” he said speaking through an interpreter.

“It looks like it should be part of the ground like a
building. It’s hard to imagine that it can float.”

Harada also commented on how young the majority of the Sailors
were that he encountered aboard the carrier. “They are the
age of my grandchildren,” he said. “It makes me feel my
age.”

Before departing the ship, the members of Unabara-kai and their
families purchased ship’s memorabilia. The white Japanese
Navy hats the pilots wore upon boarding the ship were replaced by
blue and gold ball caps of Nimitz.

"I think it's great the pilots got to come see our ship," said
Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class (SW/AW) Branden
Baker, a Nimitz Sailor. "Sixty years after WWII, they got to come
aboard and see firsthand the advances in naval aviation
technology."

The Unabara-kai pilots were visiting Southern California for a
week in order to spread goodwill. They were scheduled to meet with
American pilots of WWII for a reconciliation handshaking as part of
the association’s reunion.